Unable to Control Thoughts/Anxiety/Depression

How are you treating candida?

My experience - After trying everything, Diflucan worked for me but it had herxing side effects. I would get "hot waves" / sweaty during the day with inside AC, but actually no temp/fever. Took two months to calm down. Three months I retested and I only had past antibodies, no more current ones.

Cadida can tough. Many who assume they have babs, might actually have candida.

If you goggle to find a candida forum (they exist) you will see all it can cause. Insomnia/ hot /cold/ anz/dep / gut / skin / hair probs. Dandruff (a blanket/catch all term) is sometimes candida. there is a shampoo for it that is better than the others....."N" something (brain fart)......little blue bottle $12 at Target.

Nizoral i think Astro - has Ketoconazole in it - which is a pretty strong Azole antifungal

one possible explanation is the azole antifungals being found to be active against bart recently

but -that is not needed to be the case for you to have herx like reactions like this - when we are sensitised anything that kills even commensal organism in the gut can trigger herx like reactions

so regardless of exactly what organism / organisms are involved or just gut bacteria - i think you are experiencing a herx like reaction - and that definitely can include mood changes and anxiety

should start to settle once you stop - can take a few days - hang in there

In my experience, this disease causes anxiety through a physiological process. I had normal everyday Western person anxiety before Lyme, but I experience something along the lines what you are describing after many years of illness and treatment. I can feel it emanating within my body as a physical process. In return, when this physical process take over my thoughts the physical experience is intensified that much more greatly. I agree with others that have said this often comes along with trying different treatments and the body's reaction to those treatments. After several years of treating I am seemingly very sensitive to everything. Reading others' experience here leads me to believe I'm not alone in this issue. I agree with stopping or reducing the frequency/dose of whatever might be causing the herx/flare reaction.

From a mental perspective, I have found philosophy, particularly stoicism and certain teachings of Buddhism to be useful. For example, in Buddhism, there are teachings of not-self , and non-attachment. These concepts get pretty complicated, and I am by no means an expert, however, the crux of these concepts have helped me by learning not to feel attached to my thoughts, and to take it even a step further, not to be attached to physical sensations within my body. These thoughts aren't "me". They aren't "you". You or me didn't choose to think these thoughts. We didn't intend for these thoughts to have negative consequences. These thoughts and intentions simply arose, from somewhere, into consciousness. That's the mystery of consciousness. Of course, this is much easier said than done. I'm not going to pretend I'm walking around all enlighted and crap. However, I was reallllllllllyyyyyyy struggling last year when my symptoms starting regressing badly after a moderately successful Disulfiram course and the Pandemic hit with all it's subsequent lunacy. Focusing on these philosophies, and incorporating meditation has been useful for me.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still struggling with physical disease, and the resulting mental issues. I still have a pretty poor quality of life if I'm looking at it objectively as possible. That said, this time last year I was hanging off a cliff with one hand. This year, I've at least moved back onto the cliff side...even if I'm still staring down into the abyss. If you are interested I can try to point you to some sources where you can learn more about it yourself. Regardless, I know from reading your posts here you have been through the ringer, and, we are fellow Dr. K failures! lol. I hope you are able to find peace my friend.

Post Edited (Lymie24) : 9/16/2021 10:25:52 AM (GMT-6)

I didn't know azoles work against Bart, which is another I still suspect. But, as WBF mentioned, I am concentrating on candida, but will take a day or two off to recoup. I totally agree, Lymie 24, that the anxiety is physiological. It is a solid pattern, rather than random anxiety at different times. And I've been trying to meditate and have found if I tell myself to relax during anxiety, it will alleviate it, at least for a few moments. But I can feel it in a half-sleep.

And this is where my mind is right now - I have been getting blood circles under my skin. Much bigger than dots but not full bruises. It's like blood pooling in different spots on the top of my right hand. One is almost the size of an eraser on a pencil. Others smaller. Not sure what it is, but a new one formed yesterday and now my mind has gone to worst case scenarios with it. That is where my mind is. I try to rationalize but seem incapable right now.

Not sure what causes it, but I know it's not anything like blood cancer because of my test results. But that doesn't stop my crazy mind.

Thanks, Blackpearl. It sucks for us all.

I’m trying to find out if a positive candida antibody test means it is systemic and does that make it harder to treat/more dangerous? I would assume so since it’s gotten into blood.

Did you do babesia testing? I thought babesia was the one that caused spontaneous bruising.

running wild said...
Thanks, Blackpearl. It sucks for us all.

I’m trying to find out if a positive candida antibody test means it is systemic and does that make it harder to treat/more dangerous? I would assume so since it’s gotten into blood.

I think it just makes herxing more likely.

I had positive candida antibody tests three times.....I got better. Controlling my diet helps me stay better.

Yes candida DOES cause anxiety. But so do many other things lymies have.

I also had high morning cortisol and controlled it with the old school Rx med Proranerolo. My AM BP was high from high cortisol. (and low in afternoon). Propranolol lowers BP by lowering cortisol - completely different than other BP meds. Today I take 1/3 the does I needed 5-10 years ago. Lyme Dr figured this out, not a heart Dr.

Post Edited (astroman) : 9/16/2021 8:47:03 PM (GMT-6)

WBF - Just sent in blood to Igenex and babesia is one of those being tested. Hopefully, something will show up on one of those.

]Mark F and astroman - I am with you about the cortisol. Do believe that is the case because of the timing - morning at about 7 am. Unfortunately, I've tried propranolol tow times and it caused major migraines each time, so had to go off. Am going to check to see if l_theamine is afe with kidney function being low.

Garzie - My thoughts keep going back to Lyme itself as since I've stopped Bicillin more than three weeks ago, things have really gone downhill. Hopefully, the Igenex test will give an idea, but a negative is never a sure bet, as we all know. Have had start of hair loss again, which also happened when I tested positive for Lyme the first time.

In all the years I've had this, things have never felt worse, and that is saying a lot. The tightness around the neck is something I never had before. No complaining, but putting it in perspective. Everyone is so great to have commented trying to help.